“Who’s this tasty looking filly? Hey baby, job this knob and I’ll give you a caramel.”
“Gross,” I said.
“Hey, I remember you from Eden Groceries,” he said.
“Yes,” I said, relieved that he’d abandoned his lecherous train of thought.
He nodded. “I thought it was you. Do you work there?”
“No.”
“Oh,” he said, “because those are some nice melons.”
My jaw dropped.
“Shut up, Caleb,” Matt said.
Caleb ignored him and looked straight at me and waggled his eyebrows. “You know, cat shifters have nimble tongues.”
If he didn’t look so frail, I’d have stomped on his foot. Matt brought an arm back like he was going to punch Caleb, but I grabbed Matt. “You can’t do that.”
“Why not?” Matt said through clenched teeth.
“Because he’s...old. I don’t want you to hurt him.”
“He’s not old, he just looks that way. He’s still my asshole cousin.”
Caleb smacked his lips together again, looking like he was going to say something else.
“Come on, Matt,” I said before Caleb could speak. “Let’s go inside.”
We stepped into the bed and breakfast and encountered a small group of people in the entryway. I didn’t even have time to look around and absorb my surroundings before Declan rushed over.
Matt put his arm around me protectively. I leaned into his warmth and support.
Declan stopped in his tracks and glared at us. “Matt, you found the witch. Great. Throw her in the basement and I’ll deal with her later.”
I gaped at him and tried to calm my beating heart.
“She didn’t do anything to those people,” Matt said, gesturing toward the porch. “It’s a coincidence that she was nearby when it happened to them.”
“No such thing as coincidences in Forbidden,” Declan said.
I tended to agree with him, but that didn’t change the fact I hadn’t hurt anyone. “I didn’t do it,” I said.
“How about the things flying around at Eden Groceries?” Declan asked. “I had to ask Pearl to go wipe that poor checker’s memory.”
“It was an accident,” I said quietly. “I was scared.”
Declan looked like he had his doubts, but he had to hear the truth in my voice, didn’t he? His shoulders sagged. “I don’t have time to argue with you. We’re heading out to look for Moira. You two can stick with me; we’re walking through the woods in the direction of town.”
I poked Matt in the side as we followed Declan outdoors. Everyone else was splitting up to go different ways. I asked Matt, “Why don’t you guys just sniff around for her?”
It was Declan who answered. “Her scent is in the parking area, and one of the cars is missing. Not her car. We think someone might have taken her.”
Declan seemed to keep one eye on me as we walked. We kept our eyes out for the missing vehicle and kept close to the road, although we walked in the woods. Matt and Declan both seemed to be in their element, expertly stepping over fallen logs and avoiding twisting their ankles on the uneven ground. I stumbled more than walked, and nearly crashed into Matt several times. He offered an arm to steady me, and I waved him off.
“I got it,” I said with a smile.
“I can’t believe you brought her with you,” Declan said in a low tone to Matt.
I continued bumbling along and pretended I couldn’t hear them.
“You have to trust me,” Matt said, just as quietly. “She’s a good person, and she wouldn’t have done that to the Redemptions. Or us.”
“And what if it is us next?” Declan said. “For all we know, she’s a ticking time bomb. You could sprout a Santa beard while we’re in the woods.”
Matt’s voice was fierce, almost a growl. “I trust her. She’s my mate.”
I almost fell over in shock, but my heart felt warm. His mate. I’d dated a shifter before; I knew how important that term was. It was more permanent than girlfriend, lover, and wife. It was fate.
“Okay, okay. I’ll back off, I believe you.” Declan sent a quick glance back in my direction, then slowed his pace so I could catch up with them.
It was the closest thing I’d get to a peace offering. I was surprised he was going to back off so easily. He must have really trusted Matt. I breathed a sigh of relief.
The woods seemed friendlier, the shadows less forbidding, now that the alpha was on our side. The tension had disappeared from between Declan and Matt.
We walked for a few more minutes. Matt and Declan stopped at the same time.
“What is it?” I asked, squinting through the trees to see better. “Do you see her?”
A low growl erupted from Declan’s chest. All the other sounds in the woods seemed to disappear, and my feelings of relief and calm exploded into stress and anxiety. Something was moving among the tree trunks—slowly and intently coming toward us like a predator stalking prey.
We were being hunted.
Chapter 12
Matt
Golden eyes flashed from the shadows and the earthy scent of wolves filled the air. I put myself between them and Cordelia.
The scent of her fear carried over everything else.
You might not be able to outrun a shifter, but with me you don’t have to. I’ll protect you. Always.
She touched my shoulder as if understanding, then stood taller.
“This is Forbidden territory,” Declan announced. “You’re trespassing. Shift back to your human forms and show yourselves.”
The wolves bounded out of the brush, ignoring the command. Big mistake.
There were three of them, not nearly enough to stand a chance.
Declan shifted in a flash of light. Without missing a beat, he ran toward the largest of the three.
The other two darted away and circled around Cordelia and me. Their focus was set on Cordelia. They had to be the pack from Redemption.
“Stay close,” I told Cordelia as I stripped off my clothes.
The wolves stalked closer, circling behind us. Keeping myself between them and Cordelia, I called to my inner bear. The beast inside of me was eager to defend our mate and gladly accepted control.
The wolf to the right charged before the shift was complete.
Snarls and the sound of tearing flesh carried through the trees. A shiver carried up my spine, but I knew Declan could hold his own.
As the first wolf grew close, the second rushed me from my left.
I crashed a heavy paw down onto the head of the first, then spun to catch the second. He was only a few feet away from Cordelia. My feet tore at the ground as I barreled toward the wolf.
No chance in hell would I let him touch her.
Cordelia took a step back. Catching her foot on a root, she fell.
I was grateful she was on the ground, because she’d given me the space I needed not to hold back.
With the full force of my weight behind me, I slammed into the wolf’s side. His eyes were on my mate, so he didn’t see it coming. He fell to the ground and skidded across the forest floor.
Cordelia gasped.
I turned.
The branches were shaking, though the air was still. It was her. Cordelia was afraid, and nature was responding to her turmoil. I wished I had human hands to hold hers. I wished I had a human mouth to tell her in a language that she could understand that everything was going to be okay.
The first of the wolves I’d taken out was on his feet again and coming back for more.
A log lifted from the ground and swept toward the wolf.
He didn’t have time to dodge before the log smashed him into the trunk of a tree.
Glows of light flickered through the forest as shifters returned to human form.
“I did it, Matt.” A smile spread across Cordelia’s face. “I controlled it.”
I wanted to congratulate her, to tell her how proud I was of how much progress she had made i
n such a short time, but I couldn’t shift until I knew for sure that this fight was over.
“You can’t hide. This is over.” Declan pulled his clothes back on, while his commanding voice left no room for disobedience.
At first, I wasn’t sure who he was talking to.
Two men hobbled out from behind the trees. They looked like Caleb, unnaturally aged so the color was drained from their hair. The life force they should have held had melted away.
The wolves that had attacked me, along with the one that had fought Declan, were cowed and knelt on the ground, showing their submission.
“You’re here from Redemption,” Declan said. “This is my territory.”
His voice thrummed through the leaves, through my chest, and prickled my fur.
“Of course,” the naked man by Declan’s feet said. “But we have to—”
“Where is your alpha?” Declan put his hands on his hips.
“Not here,” one of the old men said.
“He’s old now.” Cordelia rose to her feet.
All five of the Redemption shifters snapped their attention to her.
“I didn’t do it,” she said. “You’re supposed to hear the truth in my voice. I didn’t do it.”
I believed her. They should, too, but it was clear by their expressions they weren’t convinced. If not for Declan and me, they’d be trying to tear her apart on the spot.
What mattered wasn’t what the Redemption pack thought, but what Declan chose to say next.
He looked first to Cordelia, then to me. “She is under my protection.”
A weight lifted, and I released the breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.
“Your alpha asked for my help,” Declan said, looking to the older men. “I will deliver. What you have is my word that I will hunt down the truth of what is causing shifters to age. I promise answers.”
“Thank you,” Cordelia said.
Declan nodded and looked at me. I understood. He was doing this for me. He was trusting her for me. It was all I could ask for, and I’d do what I could to help him find the truth. Both Cordelia and I would, together.
One of the old men ground his jaw, but he didn’t say anything.
The other narrowed his eyes at Declan. “You don’t leave us a choice.”
“I’ll offer you lodging,” Declan said. “You can stay in my home. You won’t cause trouble, and you can help in the investigation. Do we have an understanding?”
One of the older men nodded. “We do.”
Declan started back toward the B&B, and the Redemption wolves got dressed and followed. No one appeared to be too injured, maybe a few broken bones, but nothing that wouldn’t heal within a day or two.
Cordelia waited for me as I shifted back to human form and dressed. She laced her fingers in mine. We walked at the back of the group, and though some of the others shot her dirty looks, I knew they wouldn’t try anything.
Cordelia leaned into my shoulder and looked up at me with a sparkle in her indigo eyes. “I controlled it.”
“I saw.” I squeezed her hand. “You were amazing. You are amazing, and I love you.”
Chapter 13
Cordelia
The Redemption wolves were settled into their rooms. To reduce any burden on Daphne, they were taking care of their own food and they would do their own cleaning, as best they were able. Declan recommended they all stay on one floor, to keep them apart from other guests, just in case the aging problem was contagious.
Matt and I sat on the porch in front of the B&B, gently swinging back and forth. A sense of pride filled me, that I’d been able to control my powers in the forest.
Not only that, Declan O’Malley, alpha of the Forbidden Pack, had taken my side against the Redemption Pack. They knew I wasn’t behind the aging magic.
One week ago, I could have given zero fucks for what they thought of my innocence, as long as I was safely somewhere else. But now, I felt validated and...redeemed, for lack of a better word. I wasn’t the aggressor. I wasn’t the bad witch my mother had been.
The search for Moira was on pause while we waited for Pearl to arrive. We hadn’t seen her anywhere in the woods, or found the missing car.
Matt and I sat snuggled up together on the porch swing. I started to doze, because although the night air was cool on my skin, Matt’s arms kept me warm. I’d never felt more tired or more comfortable at the same time. Was this what it meant to be someone’s mate? It suited me. I never wanted to leave his side.
The full moon was high in the sky when a rumbling sound roused me. Matt sat forward a little, peering at headlights coming down the driveway toward the B&B.
“Pearl’s here,” Matt said, standing up.
I hurried over to the donut truck with him, neither of us able to wait for Pearl to come to us.
“Can you help me with a finder spell?” I asked her.
She nodded. “Let’s get to work.”
Something about her no-nonsense expression sparked a feeling of familiarity in me, but I couldn’t quite place it. I watched as she climbed into the back of her truck and emerged a moment later with a handful of herbs and a crystal. She seemed rather partial to those crystals, which I found interesting, because my mother hadn’t used them. To each witch her own, I guessed.
“Don’t we need something that belongs to Moira?” I asked.
“For some finder spells, yes, we would,” Pearl said, “but I invented this one, and all we need is Moira’s full name and someone who knows her. In this case, I know her, and I know her full name. So all we need is the sweetgrass and balsam and this crystal.”
I watched as she drew a chalk circle on the porch and placed the crystal in the middle of it. She sprinkled the dried herbs over the top of the crystal and whispered, “Moira Grace O’Malley,” along with some Latin words that sounded familiar. I really should have paid more attention to my mother when she’d worked her spells.
“The crystal will glow orange to tell you the way,” Pearl said. “Pick it up.”
I took the crystal from its circle and held it in front of me. It remained white. I seemed to understand what was needed, though, as if I’d seen a spell like this before. So I slowly spun in place.
When I faced northeast, the crystal glowed orange, like a flame.
“She’s that way,” I said, pointing in front of me.
“Should we walk or drive?” Declan wondered out loud.
“We’ve been all through the woods,” Matt said.
“Driving it is,” Declan said.
We piled into a couple of cars. I rode in Matt’s truck with him and Declan on either side of me. The crystal glowed orange when we headed northeast from the bed and breakfast, then would flicker out to a cloudy white when the truck turned one way or another. We drove slowly, trying to account for the turns.
After driving through downtown Forbidden and taking several side streets, Matt heaved a great sigh.
“I think I know where she is,” he said.
“Where?” Declan asked.
Matt’s voice was quiet. “Your folks’ place.”
A tension passed through both of them, and I could guess there was a story of some kind, something to do with Declan’s parents. But it wasn’t my place to ask. I wasn’t going to be the person who reopened old wounds.
Matt didn’t check the crystal again; he drove faster, and with more purpose. I held it up occasionally to verify we were going the right direction, but I trusted Matt’s instincts.
A short distance out of town, Matt turned down a driveway. The crystal directed us straight forward. I could feel the tension coiled within Matt and Declan. Both of them were ready to jump from the vehicle and go the rest of the way on foot. Matt barely slowed the truck over potholes, barreling down the drive.
Finally, the road brought us to an old house in disrepair. All of the windows were dark, and from the state of the front lawn, which was nothing but overgrown weeds surrounding a large oak, it looked like no one had cared f
or this place in years.
However, there was another car parked in front of it.
“Is that the missing car?” I asked.
“Yes,” Declan said quietly. “And...I think that’s Moira.”
An old woman stood next to the car, staring at the house. Her back was hunched slightly. Her hair was a brilliant white and her face was decorated with wrinkles. There was a quiet beauty to her age, and her posture spoke of dignified sorrow. She held her sweater tightly around her shoulders and turned to look at Matt’s truck as he parked next to the car.
Declan jumped out of the truck and went to her. “Moira?”
“Declan,” she said softly. “Where’s Mom and Dad?”
Matt and I waited in his truck, trying not to eavesdrop.
Declan sighed and put his arm around her shoulders. “They’re gone. Listen, Moira, whose car is this?”
She looked in surprise at the little Honda Civic. “I don’t know. I saw the keys and thought it was mine. It’s not mine, is it?”
“No, sis. Sorry.”
“That’s okay,” she said brightly. “It wasn’t very fast anyway. And I was made for speed.”
“Moira,” Declan said, “what happened to you?”
“I don’t know. There was this terrible smell. Remember when Brody and I came back from Redemption? It was like that.”
The car following us parked, and everyone piled out. Somehow, Caleb had come along, and he slowly made his way over to Moira.
She looked up at him, and her wide smile got even wider. “Caleb. Look at you.”
“And look at you,” he said in a soft voice. “You’re looking sweeter than ever, Moira O’Malley.”
Gone was the lecherous old man. I wasn’t the only one surprised by his transformation. Matt’s jaw dropped and he looked on in shock, along with several others from the car.
“Hey,” a big guy said. He looked like one of Declan and Moira’s brothers. “Enough of that.”
“Oh, back off, you young brute,” Caleb said, reaching out so Moira could link arms with him.
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